Golconda Fort
Golconda is one of the famous forts of India. The name originates from the
Telugu words "Golla Konda" meaning "Shepherd's Hill". The origins of the
fort can be traced back to the Yadava dynasty of Deogiri, and the Kakatiyas
of Warangal. |
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Golconda was originally a mud fort, which passed to the Bahmani
dynasty and later to the Qutb Shahis, who held it from 1518 to 1687 A.D. The
first three Qutb Shahi kings rebuilt Golconda, over a span of 62 years. The
fort is famous for its acoustics, palaces, factories, ingenious water supply
system and the famous Fateh Rahben gun, one of the cannons used in the last
siege of Golconda by Aurangzeb, to whom the fort ultimately fell.
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Qutb Shahi Tombs
The tombs of the legendary Qutb Shahi kings lie to the north of Golconda,
about a kilometre away from Banjara Darwaza of the Golconda Fort. Planned
and built by the Qutb Shahis themselves, these tombs are said to be the
oldest historical monuments in Hyderabad. |
They form a large group and stand
on a raised platform. The tombs are built in Persian, Pathan and Hindu
architectural styles using grey granite, with stucco ornamentation, the only
one of its kind in the world where an entire dynasty has been buried at one
place.
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Salar Jung Museum
This museum houses one of the biggest one-man collections of antiques and
artifacts in the world by Mir Yousuf Ali Khan Salar Jung III. The objects
d'art include Persian carpets, Moghal miniatures, Chinese porcelain,
Japanese lacquer ware, famous sculptures including the Veiled Rebecca and
Marguerite and Mephistopheles, a superb collection of jade, daggers
belonging to Queen Noor Jahan and the Emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan,
Aurangzeb's sword and many other fabulous items.
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Charminar
Charminar is as much the signature of Hyderabad as Taj Mahal is of Agra.
Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah, the founder of Hyderabad, built Charminar in 1591
at the centre of the original city layout. It is believed to have been built
as a charm to ward off a deadly epidemic raging at that time. Four graceful
minarets soar to a height of 48.7m. Charminar has 45 prayer spaces and a
mosque in it.
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Mecca Masjid
A hundred yards southwest of the Charminar is the Mecca Masjid, so named
because the bricks were brought from Mecca to build the central arch. The
Qutb Shahis never finished the building of the mosque, which was completed
by Aurangzeb in 1694. |
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Mecca Masjid is poetry in
stone, with a hall measuring 67m & soaring to a height of 54m. Fifteen
graceful arches - five to each of the three sides, support the roof. Towards
the southern end of the mosque lie the graves in marble of Nizam Ali Khan & the families of the Asaf Jahi
dynasty.
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Ramoji Film City
A dream world created for the celluloid on a sprawling 1000 acres, with
every imaginable set and location, Ramoji Film City on the outskirts of
Hyderabad offers facilities to produce any kind of movie. Apart from sets,
there are hotels where artistes and technicians can stay. Visitors too can
go round in conducted tours.
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Birla Mandir
This shimmering ethereal temple of Lord Venkateshwara, built in sculpted
white marble, floats on the city skyline, on Kala Pahad. The idol in the
temple is a replica of the one at Tirupati.
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Hussain Sagar Lake
The Hussain Sagar Lake being situated at a distance of approximately 1.5
kilometers from the city of Hyderabad stands out amongst the very limited
number of man-made lakes in the country. It is by virtue of the Hussain
Sagar Lake that the association between the cities of Hyderabad and
Secunderabad had been made feasible. |
The radiance of the heavenly delectable locale of the Hussain Sagar Lake has
been augmented by the auspicious presence of a stone representing Lord
Buddha in the form of an obelisk or a column which weighs an unbelievable
350 tonnes, standing at a height of 16 meters and entirely made from
granite.
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NTR Gardens
A leisure and entertainment centre adjoining the Hussainsagar lake, the NTR
Gardens house a memorial (Samadhi) of Late N.T. Rama Rao, one of the most
charismatic Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh. The sprawling NTR Gardens,
set up on an area of 36 acres, offers a serene atmosphere and recreation
facilities. A monorail system takes the visitors around the garden.
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The Nizam's Museum
Located in the stately Purani Haveli, the palace acquired in the year 1750,
by the second Nizam, is now converted as a museum with a fascinating
collection. The museum showcases the gifts & mementos presented to the last
Nizam on the occasion of Silver Jubilee Celebration in 1937. A 1930 Rolls
Royce, Packard & a Mark V Jaguar are among the vintage cars displayed. |
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of models made in silver of all the prominent buildings of the city &
citations in Urdu about H.E.H Mir Osman Ali Khan,
gold burnished wooden throne used for the Silver Jubilee Celebrations, gold
tiffin box inlaid with diamonds, gold model of Jubilee Pavilion and a silver
filigree elephant with mahout are some of the notable items on display. |
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